Team Performance Helps AC Milan to Promising Win over Fiorentina

Much of AC Milan’s 2015-16 season has been a futile search for cohesion. Month-by-month, the tactics have changed, the results have ranged wildly and coach Sinisa Mihajlovic—as well as his players—have endured constant scrutiny.

Put simply, it’s been a tough time for the club. But on Sunday evening, as they soundly defeated Scudetto challengers Fiorentina, Milan finally found so many of the things they have been looking for in recent months.

Their defence was solid, the midfield worked diligently off the ball and creatively on it, while Carlos Bacca and M’Baye Niang threatened persistently up front.

There was no shortage of desire; there rarely has been, though this time Milan also showed the mental fortitude of a team used to winning as opposed to one grateful for every three points they can get.

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Those traits were absolute prerequisites for the visit of Paulo Sousa’s Fiorentina, a side who had scored in 26 consecutive league matches, one of which was a comfortable 2-0 win over Milan on the opening day of the campaign. That result was avenged with exactitude on Sunday.

Despite having just 31 per cent of possession, per WhoScored.com, Milan stuck to their defensive game plan with a stoic determination and organisational discipline that has not been a frequent highlight of their campaign thus far.

For all of their ball-hogging, Fiorentina just couldn’t break down their hosts and paid the price via quick, cut-and-thrust counter-attacks.

Evidently, coach Mihajlovic was aware of his own team’s limitations and played to minimise them. Allowing Fiorentina possession of the ball, he instead instilled in his side a specific focus on retaining shape and instantaneously breaking when opposition moves faltered.

Bacca was primed for this strategy, using his cunning movement on the shoulder of the last defender, mobility and keen eye for goal to open the scoring on four minutes. The key from then on was for Milan to remain strong and compact in defence while maintaining attacking threat of their own.

This was something the Rossoneri were able to do, and subsequently Kevin-Prince Boateng took advantage of a raking, diagonal ball from Juraj Kucka on 88 minutes to round Fiorentina goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu and seal all three points for the home side.

The result stands alongside the 3-1 away win over Lazio and the 4-1 San Siro demolition of Sampdoria as one of Milan’s most notable of the season. And it was timely given the pressure on Mihajlovic of late.

After the game, the tactician told Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia): “I am very satisfied with the performance, as we were focused and worked very hard. We deserved the win. Fiorentina had scored in every Serie A game this season, but today we kept a clean sheet. I thank the lads for ending a complicated week in the best possible way.”

However, as strange as it sounds, bigger tests lie in wait for Mihajlovic and his players against smaller teams, for that is where Milan have been at their weakest.

When presented with a relatively high defensive line and space to exploit, they tend to enjoy far greater success than when presented with a deep defence and the majority of possession. Essentially, Milan have often struggled due to a lack of ingenuity against teams they are expected to beat handily.

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This was the case on the first game back after the winter break against Bologna. Mihajlovic’s men had much more of the ball, far more attempts at goal and generally showed greater attacking intent than their opponents, only to lose 1-0. It was virtually the polar opposite to their win on Sunday night.

Milan showed resolve and systematic understanding to defeat Fiorentina, but now their most important task will be to wed that defensive discipline to a more creative style of play when trying to attack and open up lesser opponents. Only when that happens will they achieve true tactical cohesion.